Hughes offered his congratulations to all the teams that made it to the selection process, and stressed the importance of their contributions not only to basketball, but also to the spirit of diversity and achievement in Mercer County. “We’re glad to have the women of the NCAA here to demonstrate their skills and sportsmanship on the court,” said Hughes. “This tournament will allow young women from all walks of life to see strong female role models achieving great things.”

Round 1 of the tournament will take place on Sunday, March 19; Round 2 will follow on Tuesday, March 21. Hughes wished all of the teams good luck in the tournament. The County Executive plans to visit Sovereign Bank Arena on both days of the tournament to support the athletes.

“We’re very excited to showcase Trenton, the Sovereign Bank Arena, and Mercer County to all of the fans who either visit us to watch the tournament in person or who tune in to watch nation-wide on television” continued Hughes. “With Rutgers University appearing on the court to compete for the title, this year’s NCAA tournament constitutes a tremendous source of pride for Mercer County and New Jersey as a whole”.